Enjoy a comfortable immigrant life in Spain: the rich, mellow texture of ham paired with a slightly dry Fino sherry is a perfect combination. If I had a choice, I would rather immerse myself in a bottle of Tio Pepe and spend a lifetime as the Spanish sunshine that brings joy to people.
Sherry, like many famous European wines, is named after its place of origin. It comes from a small Andalusian town called Jerez. This is not only the birthplace of sherry but also where Spaniards celebrate their soul art, Flamenco. Every year, the Jerez Flamenco Festival attracts many people to watch performances and enjoy sherry.
Andalusia is the hottest region in Spain. This climate has blessed Andalusia with high-quality agricultural crops and the passionate, unrestrained character of its people, while also providing an excellent growing environment for the Palomino grapes used to make sherry.
I remember my first time tasting sherry was at the Seville April Fair. A passionate Flamenco singer named Francisco invited me to try it, repeatedly emphasizing that sherry is a fortified wine and quite strong. After tasting it, I felt that sherry was just a white wine, far inferior to Chinese Baijiu, which greatly surprised Francisco at the time. However, from beginning to end, I never truly understood sherry. Perhaps because I was too fond of the mellow Spanish red wines, I was somewhat dismissive of white wines.
In Madrid's Puerta del Sol, there is a huge neon sign featuring a wine bottle wearing a red Andalusian jacket and a hat, with a guitar propped up next to it. Above the bottle, the words "Tio Pepe" are written. I never knew what brand this sign represented, but it is one of the most prominent landmarks in many films set in Madrid.
After arriving in Jerez, I discovered that the iconic, comical little wine bottle figure of Tio Pepe could be seen everywhere in the small town; sherry has long become a part of life for the people of Jerez. I assumed that a famous winery like Tio Pepe would have many tourists visiting, so following the travel guide, we chose a winery called Gonzalez Byass, which is said to be one of the largest in the area and does not require an appointment for visits.
Following the map, we easily found the winery, but noticed that the walls outside the winery were covered with Tio Pepe signs along the way. It was then that I realized this winery called Gonzalez Byass was actually the legendary Tio Pepe winery.
All the buildings in the winery are primarily white. The intense Andalusian sun makes this beautiful land a sea of white architecture, designed to reflect the sunlight and lower the temperature inside the houses. Looking at the exterior of the white building complex, these structures have clearly stood for many years, with the black stains from years of wine fermentation covering the white walls.
The cellar closest to the winery gate is a display cellar, and it was the first cellar of the winery. Today, this cellar, known as the "Shell," is used entirely for display. The large oak barrels inside not only form the Gonzalez Byass trademark, but each barrel also features the flags of many countries, representing the nations to which Tio Pepe exports.
Opposite the Shell cellar is the cellar currently used by the winery. A tile mural at the entrance identifies the production area of the Palomino grapes used to brew sherry. Palomino is a grape variety unique to Andalusia. The region where these grapes grow is also very special; the high-quality land in Jerez is known as "white soil."
For many people, the first time they drink sherry, they may not adapt to its taste; it is somewhat dry and has a slightly spicy, intense flavor. Barker brought us a small plate of Iberian ham. In Andalusia, drinking sherry must be accompanied by ham to release its most charming appeal. You should know that Iberian ham is the finest of all hams. The Iberian pig is a breed raised entirely free-range in oak forests, feeding on acorns. Ham made from Iberian pigs is the most delicious in the world. Enjoying such a delicacy comes at a price; this small plate of Iberian ham, with only a dozen slices, probably costs several dozen Euros, more than ten times the price of ordinary ham.